Laura Cramer and Starr Hout showed their Resort 2020 collection back in June, but chose to wait until the clothes were in stores to promote it. It’s a strategy employed by a growing number of brands in the age of Instagram, and can work in a designer’s favor—or not—depending on what happens in the months between. Serendipitously, Apiece Apart’s Resort lineup is gelling nicely with the groovy, Summer-of-Love spirit we saw on so many Spring 2020 runways a few weeks ago. Those who want to channel that vibe now—not in a few months’ time—can head straight to Cramer and Hout’s stores in SoHo or East Hampton (or shop one of their many e-tailers).
In the mix were breezy dresses, denim jumpsuits, and a few striped coats reminiscent of baja hoodies, but the ’60s feeling was mostly in the palette and prints. A tiered maxi dress and cropped trousers came in a sweet daisy print of orange, lavender, and emerald, and a handful of wear-anywhere shirtdresses were splashed with a painterly blush and mustard motif. The duo also interpreted their signature Merida pants—cropped, high-rise flares—as a low-key suit, styling them with matching blazers in lilac or rose. The effect was lean and willowy, not boyish, and it’s easy to picture Merida collectors trying out the look with a printed blouse and stacked-heel boots.
Those items will look both familiar and novel to the Apiece Apart customer, who will also appreciate Cramer and Hout’s real motivation: the second-wave feminists of the ’60s. A quote from Gloria Steinem was printed in their usual brand book: “Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It’s about making life more fair for women everywhere. It’s not about a piece of the existing pie…. It’s about baking a new pie.” The Apiece Apart community is made up of women who would whole-heartedly agree. That word community has become a bit of a buzzword of late, but theirs is as organic and un-forced as they come. Fortunately they make the clothes to match.
